Our "Spot-Hopper"

[BamaJNJ]

Hi everyone. Let me start off by saying I am not a preplanning type person, its more of a do as you go type thing and i know it makes for more work(and money) but its what works for me...we are using a Design we seen on a post by Mike Schnieder. it says its a Modified 10ft grasshopper, dunno, looked good to us so we went with it

[BamaJNJ]

Not being good at remembering to take pictures, we didnt get a good pic of the trailer we are using before we did our modifying to it, so we learned the basics on google sketchup and did a rendering of the trailer frame there we got this old boat frame for 250.00, not the perfectly ideal trailer but itll work...

[BamaJNJ]

building the platform, it is 5'x10', 3/4 ply floor, (3) 2x3 ribs running length wise connected with some 2x2s and 2x3s width wise, had to cut (2) 5'x4' 3/4 ply sections and a 2'x4' 3/4 ply section to cover it of course

[BamaJNJ]

bottom side of platform after sealing with fiberglass resin
moved the forward outside rails inward on trailer...later realized needed reinforcement after doing this, also extended trailer 2 ft to rear to make tongue weight not so heavy(hard to see that in pic)
platform just setting on trailer not bolted down yet

[BamaJNJ]

first pic is a shot of our side profile... 4'x10'6" over all....second pic is a shot of the way we ended up splicing the ply to make our 10 ft sides...tried it using biscuit joiner and biscuits but just seemed to flimsy...we ended up using 5/8 ply which probably played a role in the biscuit joints not working for us( or we didnt do it right ), anywho liquid nails, screws and left over scrap, from creating the wall, worked out

[BamaJNJ]

Build currently on hold till warmer dryer weather, dont have a shop to keep it in, so she is bundled up nice and tight....come on spring!!

[BamaJNJ]

here is a little progress over this last weekend, not being any sort of carpenter it has been a learning experience for us both so far

[BamaJNJ]

test fit the hinge...we found out we cut it wrong..crap

skinned the inside of camper...color looks orangish but its not, golden pecan stain on some underlayment sheets from lowes... we think its oak


progress on the kitchen cabinets

[BamaJNJ]

a few more pics of our progress, ceiling partially installed!!


thought we'd try a mobile DVD player


the big opening is our entrance to the electrical race way/small storage area, it will get a door of course

[BamaJNJ]

sleeping area cabinets trimmed out!! woohoo!!

[mikeschn]

Wow, nice job on your modified Grasshopper so far!!!

Mike...

[BamaJNJ]

yes weve learned the hard way about stains and different wood types not staining the same...oh well...itll give it character

[BamaJNJ]

Thanks Mike!! ...it was an old post you put up in '07 that had the dimensions we used

[rebapuck]

Looks good.

[BamaJNJ]

test fit of the hatch door


top view of electrical raceway/storage area between our double bulkhead...plmbrs tape is going to hold blue board foam insl


we finally have POWER!!!